With a run-in that includes matches against Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham, it was imperative Manchester City bolstered their fourth-place ambitions with victory at Fulham on Sunday.

Roberto Mancini’s side got the win they desired, but the manager wasn’t kidding anyone when he said it had been ‘comfortable’.

Yet a match that began with the loss of Joleon Lescott to a hamstring injury in the warm-up — he will miss Wednesday’s match against Everton — and ended with the City manager denying Sunday newspaper reports linking him with the Juventus job, resulted in City moving to fifth place, two points behind Tottenham who have played a game more.

Net gains: Roque Santa Cruz prods home the opening goal

Mancini said: ‘It was an important win. Here, against Fulham, it’s difficult. They’re a good team and have a good manager. It was very comfortable. We played a strong game and deserved to win.

‘It’ll be a fight until the end of the season with the other three teams. Liverpool are a fantastic team and we must fight with them, Aston Villa and Tottenham.’

Sunday’s match came less than three days after Fulham’s historic 4-1 Europa League win over Juventus and was always in danger of being overshadowed by that and the looming FA Cup quarter-final replay against Tottenham on Wednesday.

Kolo Toure cleared a Zoltan Gera effort off the line inside six minutes after a Bobby Zamora knockdown, but Fulham were caught on the break as Carlos Tevez found Craig Bellamy, whose shot deflected off Aaron Hughes, wrong-footed Mark Schwarzer and was tapped in by Roque Santa Cruz from a yard out.

With Manchester United’s £10million signing Chris Smalling deputising for Brede Hangeland, who has a chest injury, in central defence, and too many tired legs on display, it was another counter-attack that caught Fulham out for City’s second goal after 36 minutes.

The hosts failed to track Tevez’s run as he pushed the ball out to Bellamy and sprinted into the penalty box. The striker took Bellamy’s return ball down beautifully, sent Smalling the wrong way and slotted a right-foot finish low into the corner for his 22nd goal of the season.

But City’s threat petered out in the second half and they looked vulnerable.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson took off Zamora and Gera and threw on 20-year-old Stefano Okaka, on loan from Roma, and Clint Dempsey.

By the time Chris Baird’s cross hit Gareth Barry’s hand in the 75th minute and referee Lee Probert pointed to the spot, City were looking the more weary side.

Fulham captain Danny Murphy, restored to the side after missing the Juventus win through suspension, converted the penalty and Okaka missed two good chances to level the match.

Fulham also had a second credible penalty shout when a cross from substitute Bjorn Helge Riise hit Vincent Kompany’s hand in added time. A similar decision went Fulham’s way against Juventus, but this time the referee waved play on.

Spot on: Danny Murphy tucks home his late penalty

Hodgson said: ‘Those people who were here today will have seen a stronger Fulham second half than Manchester City’s. I don’t know what took it out of them.

'There was a great chance for Okaka that he missed and a penalty appeal that might have led to a second penalty. That’s how close we came.